Farm-to-School Month Menus Feature Local Produce

All of the items and more are featured in the Dubuque Community School District’s lunch lineup during Farm-to-School Month – promoting the use of locally sourced produce.

For two weeks, from October 5 through October 16, every school in the district will see one or two food items per week from local suppliers. This is in addition to Prairie Farms milk, which is served every day in the district and comes from farms within 100 miles of Dubuque.

“It is a common misconception that including local foods into meals is expensive,” said Kelsey Salow, the district’s assistant manager of food and nutrition services. “That’s not always the case and it’s great to incorporate the freshest local items into meals while supporting Northeast Iowa farmers.”

With the assistance and support of the ISU Extension Office, the district purchased locally sourced produce through the Iowa Food Hub. Items included apples from Eastview Orchard in Fredericksburg, Iowa; watermelon from G It’s Fresh in Cresco, Iowa; and cabbage and carrots from State Line Produce in Lime Springs, Iowa.